Pueblo, Colorado…..

Home of Heroes

Why Pueblo?

Pueblo, CO is the hometown of four Congressional Medal of Honor recipients – William J. Crawford – Army – WWII; Carl L. Sitter -Marines – Korea; Raymond G. “Jerry” Murphy- Marines- Korea; and Drew D. Dix- Army -Vietnam . The Medal of Honor is the highest military award that can be bestowed upon a member of the United States Armed Forces; Teddy Roosevelt lobbied for one but never received it and General George Patton said, “I’d sell my immortal soul for that Medal.”

President Dwight D. Eisenhower upon presenting Raymond G. “Jerry” Murphy with his Medal in 1953 commented, “What is it…something in the water out there in Pueblo? All you guys turn out to be heroes!” In 1993 Colorado Representative Scott McInnis had read into the Congressional Record information about Pueblo and it’s recipients of the Medal of Honor. He cited at that time that it was the only city to have this record of four living recipients from the same hometown. Following that declaration in the Congressional Record, the Pueblo City Council adopted the “Home of Heroes” theme.

Since then, Pueblo has continued to show it’s increased pride in military. It hosted the Congressional Medal of Honor National Convention in September of 2000 and unveiled four sculptures to Crawford, Sitter, Murphy and Dix as well as listing on granite plates the names of ALL Medal of Honor Recipients since Civil War times when the award was first created.

Pueblo Medal of Honor Memorial at Pueblo Convention Center

Heroes Plaza

Home of Heroes Rifle Match
The first of the annual Home of Heroes Rifle Match was held at the Pueblo County High gymnasium on Saturday, October 29th with over 20 schools from throughout Colorado participating. Almost 100 shooters took part in the four hour event. Jim Stuart, representing the Pueblo Home of Heroes Association, who sponsored the brand new traveling trophy, presented the winning team from Fountain/Ft. Carson High School with their trophy.

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Press Release

The National Medal of Honor Memorial in Pueblo to be moved

October 2017
Unveiled at the Pueblo Convention Center in September 2000, the Medal of Honor Memorial, featuring statues of Pueblo’s four Medal of Honor recipients and the names of all 3400 recipients since the inception of the medal during the Civil War, is being removed and put into storage during the construction of the new exhibit hall addition to the Convention Center. The Pueblo Urban Renewal Authority, who oversees the Convention Center, announced the removal for its protection during construction and further explained that the Medal of Honor Memorial would be relocated to a nearby site when the new exhibit hall is completed in about 18 months.

Medal of Honor

The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force which can be bestowed upon an individual serving in the Armed Services of the United States.
Generally presented to its recipient by the President of the United States of America in the name of Congress, it is often called the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Pueblo Home of Heroes Association

The Pueblo Home of Heroes Association was first known as Pueblo Medal of Honor Foundation. It was created after Pueblo Chieftain newspaper publisher Bob Rawlings decided to fund raise to create a Medal of Honor memorial in Pueblo, Colorado to honor Pueblo's four Medal of Honor recipients. The project was to be four individual statues with additional names of all Medal of Honor recipients included. As the memorial project progressed, the Foundation was created from a committee of citizens. The group decided to invite the Congressional Medal of Honor Society to Pueblo for their national annual convention in the year 2000, so they could be a part of the unveiling. The Congressional Medal of Honor Society is made up exclusively of all living Medal of Honor recipients.
After completion of the Pueblo Memorial and the hosting of the Convention, the committee reorganized to maintain the Memorial and promote it as an attraction in Pueblo, Colorado.